Pros and Cons of CMC

Computer Meditated Communication has without a doubt changed the way that we communicate today and will continue to change our future. However, is this potentially a bad movement? Could we possibly be losing that personal touch due to not having real life interactions? Lets discuss the differences between communicating face to face verses CMC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Lee Cheng Ean's piece, which can be found below, he talks about the importance of communication in a work place. That its important to build a trusting relationship with the employees to help the overall output of the organization. He also says that there are a few different ways to achieve a strong relationship via communications. With CMC you are afforded an extended opportunity to revise the information, make changes to it and decide if you want to send it back. Where as face to face you might not exactly have the chance to thoroughly think about what you want to reply.  

 

Another advantage of CMC is the idea that time and distance are obsolete. We can now contact virtually anyone in the world through new technologies allowing the potential for many doors to open. The ability to contact anyone in the world leads to collaborations of people getting to together to accomplish goals that may not have been achievable without CMC. We are also now available 24/7, whether its cellphones, pagers, social media, or Emails we can get ahold of anyone at a moments notice. In emergency cases, the 24/7 availability can be crucial to saving lives or preventing things such as crime. With different sites and forums online, finding information or getting ideas from documented events is just a click away. We can also stay connected with past friends through apps and social media, having access to view and check up on there day to day lives. All of these advantages without having face to face contact may bring up a few questions relating whether are not we are losing our face to face interactions skills.

 

I've heard from the older generations, and even many other people time and time again that they would prefer face to face, or even a phone call rather than a text message. Why? Simply because we lose almost all of the non-verbal sides of communication that play such a huge role in getting as close to the exact message that we are trying to portray. Physical appearance, proxemics, kinesics, paralanguage and haptics are all not achievable through CMC. Without non-verbal traits we can't deeply understand or relate with out things such as tone of voice, facial expression, and body gestures. CMC in almost always strips emotion from communication, and if it doesn't it can be misconstrued and not correctly understood. Another disadvantage with CMC can be the excessive amount of information we can find online. This can be potentially harmful in cases such as a friend posting a photo of you that you wouldn't want people to see. Also the information may not be edited accurately on sites such as Wikipedia, sending the wrong message and causing a lot of problems down the road.

 

So there are many advantages and disadvantages of CMC verse face to face. As long as we are aware that sometimes CMC isn't the best way to communicate, and we can find a happy medium between the two, we can continue to move forward in CMC. However, face to face has characteristics and benefits that are paramount. 

 

http://www.academia.edu/538403/Face-to-face_Versus_Computer-mediated_Communication_Exploring_Employees_Preference_of_Effective_Employee_Communication_Channel